Implement for splicing rope



Dec. 19, 1967 E. H. HALL 3,359,151

IMPLEMENT FOR SPLICING ROPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1965 g2 INVENTOR.

EDWARD H. HALL I R inw! ATTORNEYS 1967 E. H. HALL 3,359,1 5]

IMPLEMENT FOR SPLICING ROPE INVENTOR. EDWARD H. HALL ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,359,151 IMPLEMENT FOR SPLICING ROPE Edward H. Hall, Fitc'nburg, Mass, assignor t0 Morey Paper Mill Supply Co., Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 438,282 3 Claims. (Cl. 156497) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manually actuable implement for use in splicing thermoplastic rope which comprises two elongate, pivotally united levers, one extremity of each lever constituting a handle and the opposite extremity of each lever having a clamp for holding a rope end.

This invention pertains to rope splicing implements, more especially to an implement particularly designed for use in the cohesive splicing of a rope of thermoplastic material, for example nylon.

In a copending application, Ser. No. 438,303, filed by Edward H. Hall on Mar. 9, 1965, there is disclosed a method of uniting two rope ends when the material of which the rope ends are made is predominantly thermoplastic, for instance nylon, said method, in brief, co-m prising the steps of heating the terminal faces of the two rope ends to a temperature above the melting point of the thermoplastic material, then butting together the molten end faces and holding them forcibly in contact until the molten material of the opposite end faces coalesces, and continuing to hold them in contact while allowing the temperature to drop until said molten material congeals. While, as pointed out in the aforesaid copending application, the method may be practiced without the assistance of any special tools or implements, it is expedited by the employment of a suitable tool or device for holding and manipulating the rope ends during their union.

The present invention concerns such an implement, in brief, a device having provision for holding the two rope ends in convenient relative position for applying heat thereto; for bringing the rope ends into coaxial butting relation; and for then holding them in contact and under pressure until the joint is completed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an implement, in accordance with the present invention, by way of example, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the implement, designed for splicing half-inch rope, showing the parts as arranged for holding two rope ends in contact with their previously heat-treated and molten end surfaces in abutting coaxial relation;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation, viewed from the right of FIG. 1, in broken lines, showing one of the half-jaws open in readiness for receiving a rope end;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, looking at the right-hand side of FIG. 1, showing the jaw-locking device disengaged so that the hinged half-jaw may be moved to the broken line position of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the holders of the implement as fully open and with one of the rope ends clamped in each respective holder;

FIG. 5 is a similar view but showing the jaws as having been brought closer together so that flame from a jet nozzle is now located directly between and in heating relation to the opposed end faces of the rope ends;

FIG. 6 is a view, generally similar to FIG. 5, but showing the flame as having been withdrawn and the jaws as having been moved toward each other until the molten end faces of the rope ends are in abutting contact; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation showing the two rope ends as havingbeen united by the use of the implement.

Referring to the drawings, in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the implement (designated by the numeral 10) is suggestive of a pair of shears, comprising two rigid elongate parts 11 and 12, respectively, which are pivotally connected at 13 to form levers of the first order so as to swing toward and from each other like the blades of a pair of shears and having elongate, loop-like handles 14 and 15 at their lower ends (as seen in FIG. 1) providing a space for the insertion of several fingers for applying force for manipulating them. At the upper end of each of the parts or arms 11 and 12, respectively, there is a sleeve-like rope-holder or jaw J and I respectively, each designed to receive and to hold firmly one of the rope ends during the splicing or joining operation.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, the arm 12, by way of example, has an upwardly elongated integral extension 16 which terminates in a half-jaw 17 to whose upper portion there is hinged, at 19, a complemental halfjaw 18, having an integral, downwardly extending, tapering, locking arm 20 with which there cooperates a sliding ring 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which may be moved upwardly from an inoperative position, as shown in FIG. 3, to the operative position shown in FIG. 2, in which it holds the half-jaw 18 in cooperative relation to the half-jaw 17. The two half-jaws 1'7 and 18 collectively form a substantially tubular rope-holder of an internal diameter such that when the half-jaws are closed together they provide a firm grip about a rope end of a diameter approximating the diameter of the cylindrical space defined by the closed jaws. By comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the jaw-locking member 20 for the holder or jaw J is at the front side of the implement, while a corresponding jaw-locking member 20a for the holder or jaw J is at the rear side of the implement. With this arrangement it is possible to open each holder without interference from the other. Inspection of FIG. 1 shows that the axis of the pivot element 13 is nearer to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical space defined by the closed jaws than it is to the extremity of the handle 15 thereby providing advantage for the application of substantial force for urging the opposed rope ends toward each other.

In the use of the implement for splicing or joining two rope ends, the handles 14 and 15 are so manipulated as to position the holders or jaws I and J relatively, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Having separated the half-jaws of the holder J for example, the rope end R is placed between the half-jaws and the latter are closed and locked by sliding the ring 21 up over locking arm 20a. In the same way, the other rope end R is clamped between the half-jaws or holder J Before placing the rope ends in the holder, it is desirable to cut each rope end off cleanly by a cut, for example, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rope end so as to provide end surfaces or faces S and S (FIG. 4) which are fiat and thus may be brought into close registering contact with each other.

Desirably, to insure the formation of such flat faces so as to insure a splice of optimum strength, each rope end is provided with a binding B and B respectively (FIG. 7), for example, which may be in the nature of an adhesive tape or which may consist of a wrapping or serving of strong cord about the end portion of the rope, the function of such bindings being to hold the constituent strands of the rope ends firmly together so as to prevent even an incipient ravelling of the extreme end portion of the rope.

Whether or not these bindings have been applied, the rope ends are so located within the holders J and I that a short end portion E and E (FIGS. 4 and 5) of each rope end protrudes from the end face of the respective holder. A projection of the order of A of an inch is usually sufficient. For convenience in installing the rope ends in the holder, the implement is first arranged, as shown, for example, in FIG. 5, with the holders widely separated, and with the axes of the rope-receiving chambers in the holders converging upwardly at a wide angle, for instance, as illustrated, about 130 apart.

Having clamped the rope ends in the respective jaws in this fashion, as illustrated in FIG. 4, and with the short end portions E and E projecting from the respective jaws, the jaws are moved toward each other to an intermediate position such, for example, as that shown in FIG. 5, and While held in this position the flame F of a torch T or equivalent heating device is introduced between the opposed ends E and E and kept in this position until the thermoplastic material of the rope is melted.

The flame is then withdrawn and the holders or jaws J and I moved to the relative position shown in FIG. 6. Since, by reason of the structure of the implement, the tubular holders are now in coaxial relation, the rope ends are accurately coaxial and the now molten ends M and M of the respective ropes may now be pressed together by force applied to the handles 14 and 15 so that the molten material coalesces. The parts are so held until the temperature has dropped sufficiently to congeal the material of the rope ends and since the material which is thus congealed was coalesced in the molten stage and since this material is an integral portion of the rope itself, there is now a permanent bond between the rope ends. The holders are now opened and the united rope ends released. The two rope ends R and R are now permanently and cohesively united in coaxial relation by a thin disclike mass R of thermoplastic material in the solid state. Since but a small amount of the rope has been involved in the melting operation, the squeezing of the opposed ends together, while the material is in molten condition, does not result in the formation of a protruding fin of a diameter substantia1ly exceeding that of the rope itself, so that rope, thus spliced or joined, runs about pulleys or sheaves of relatively small diameter without creating undesirable vibration and without showing tendency to wear or break in the region of the joint as is true of ropes spliced ac cording to prior methods. Obviously, were a fin of undesirably large dimensions to be formed, as by melting an unnecessarily large body of the rope material, it could readily be reduced in size by abrasive treatment.

By the use of the implement here disclosed, it is possible for an unskilled person to splice ropes of this character very quickly and with substantial certainty that the splice, so made, will be of maximum strength. When made by the use of this implement, the two rope ends will be brought into coaxial abutting relation and substantially the entire area of the end surfaces of each rope will be involved in the joint.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention is herein disclosed by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A manually actuatable implement for use in splicing a pair of rope ends, each rope end comprising at least three individual strands wherein each strand consists predominantly of fibrous material which melts when exposed to flame but solidifies when thereafter cooled, said implement conprising two rigid, elongate levers of the first order united by pivot means at points intermediate their ends, each lever having an elongate, open-loop handle extending from one extremity toward the pivot means and having at its opposite extremity a holder for a rope end, each holder comprising two semicylindrical jaws united by a hinge and which, when disposed in opposed relation, define a cylindrical chamber for the reception of a rope end, means for forcibly drawing the jaws of each holder toward each other so as to compress and solidify a rope end interposed between said jaws, the holders being so mounted on the respective levers that by moving the handles apart the exposed end faces of rope ends, gripped in the respective holders, may be so spaced as to admit an open flame between said exposed faces thereby to melt the fibrous material, and when the handles are drawn toward each other the axes of the cylindrical chambers of the two holders will be aligned and the molten faces of the rope ends urged together thereby to coalesce the constituent fibers.

2. A manually actuatable implement for use in splicing a pair of rope endsby cohesion, said implement including two relatively movable holders, each comprising means defining an elongate, substantially cylindrical chamber for the reception of one of said rope ends respectively, clamping means whereby a rope end may be clamped in the corresponding chamber with a short length of the rope end protruding from the holder, manually actuatable means whereby the holders may be relatively positioned so that said protruding rope ends are spaced apart suffiicently for the reception of heating means between them, or alternatively with the rope ends coaxially aligned and with said protruding ends in contact, each of said holders being a sleeve-like device comprising two semi-cylindrical parts with hinge means connecting them whereby said parts may be swung away from each other to admit a rope end between them, and means whereby said parts, when closed to embrace the rope end, may be clamped together so as to grip the rope end, further characterized in that one of the semicylindrical parts of each holder is fixed to the end of an elongate rigid arm provided with a handle at its opposite end, pivot means connecting said elongate rigid arms at a point intermediate the holders and handles, the second of said semicylindrical parts of each holder having integral therewith a rigid locking arm which, when the semicylindrical parts are closed, extends along the corresponding elongate rigid arm toward the pivot means, and a ring, slidable along the rigid elongate arm into embracing relationship to the locking arm thereby to clamp the semicylindrical parts in operative position.

3. A manually actuatable implement for use in uniting two rope ends by cohesion to form a butt joint, said implement comprising two complemental, substantially semitubular half-jaws collectively defining an elongate cylindrical chamber for the reception of a rope end, and means whereby said semi-tubular members may be closed about a rope end to clamp it within said cylindrical chamber, pivotally united levers of the first order supporting the respective holders to move in paths such that, in one relative position, the axes of said cylindrical chambers are disposed at an angle exceeding while, in another relative poistion of the holders, the axes of said cylindrical chambers are in alignment, each of the respective levers having a handle, the handles being so shaped that the users fingers may operatively engage both handles at the same time for swinging the levers in opposite directions whereby said holders may be moved along said path thereby to transfer rope ends, clamped in the respective holders, from a position such that a flame for simultaneously heating the end faces of the respective rope ends may be introduced between the holders and to another position in which the rope ends are coaxial and the molten ends of the rope ends are in contact.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,379,500 7/1945 Steifens 156304 2,384,014 9/1945 Cutter 156-499 3,013,925 12/1961 Larsen 156-304 DOUGLAS J. DRUMMOND, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MANUALLY ACTUATABLE IMPLEMENT FOR USE IN SPLICING A PAIR OF ROPE ENDS, EACH ROPE END COMPRISING AT LEAST THREE INDIVIDUAL STRANDS WHEREIN EACH STRAND CONSISTS PREDOMINANTLY OF FIBROUS MATERIAL WHICH MELTS WHEN EXPOSED TO FLAME BUT SOLIDIFIES WHEN THEREAFTER COOLED, SAID IMPLEMENT COMPRISING TWO RIGID, ELONGATE LEVERS OF THE FIRST ORDER UNITED BY PIVOT MEANS AT POINTS INTERMEDIATE THEIR ENDS, EACH LEVER HAVING AN ELONGATE, OPEN-LOOP HANDLE EXTENDING FROM ONE EXTREMITY TOWARD THE PIVOT MEANS AND HAVING AT ITS OPPOSITE EXTREMITY A HOLDER FOR A ROPE END, EACH HOLDER COMPRISING TWO SEMICYLINDRICAL JAWS UNITED BY A HINGE AND WHICH, WHEN DISPOSED IN OPPOSED RELATION, DEFINE A CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER FOR THE RECEPTION OF A ROPE END, MEANS FOR FORCIBLY DRAWING THE JAWS OF EACH 